Electrically-controlled switch mechanism.



PATBNTED MAR. 17, 1908.

. G. E. PALMER. I ELEUTRIGALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED HAYS), 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

M w% Mm 4 No. 882,340. PATEfiTED MAR. 1?, 19'08.

* I G. B. PALMER.- ELBOTRIOALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYS. 1906.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

% ng ses: 0% $444M, mmtw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GRANVILLE E.- PALMER, or BOSTONJMASS CHARLES YB. PRICE AND ONE-FOURTH T SETTS.

AOHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-FOURTH TO FRANK PRICE, or SALEM, MASSACHU- ELECTRIGALLY-CONTBQLLED SWITCH MECHANISM.

.To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that'I, GRANVILLE E. PAL- Man, of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electricaliy'Oontrolled Switch Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electrically controlled switch mechanism for electric light or power circuits, and more particularly su'ch a mechanism controlled from a point remote from the. switch.

, reliable in its action.

The'characteristic features of my invenmeans whereby the switch closing armatureor solenoid, when it has fully com leted its closing. movement locks the switc firmly closed and automatically breaks the energizing circuitfor the switch control., and on the other hand, if the closing impulse is for any. reason notsufiiciently strong to entirely close the switch, the latter will open full again by gravity, thus avoiding the danger of a continuing are due to a artially and improperly closed switch. T us the mechanism is thoroughly It is equally reliable in its opening action, and as.soon as the switch has opened, the control circuit is automatically broken.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a diagram of the arrangement of circuits for. my switch mechanism control; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

-Referrin to the diagram, Fig. 1, the terminals of t e' main circuit 15 are connected to the two contacts & c" and the two terminals of the lighting or work circuit 12 are connected with the opposing contacts i i Theswitch-brushes n, n n n when closed, connect the contactsi i vand the contacts i '5 respectively. I WilLhereinafter describe the construction of the switch-mechanism but it maybe here stated that the brushes are mechanicallyoperated by the armature or solenoid core f, which is arranged in an upright or vertical position and is raised by the on coil e The switch control branch circuit, which I have termed the on circuit, is indicated at s iecification of Letters Patent. Amilication filed May 5, 1906. SeriahNo. 315,4;2.

They are arranged in and drawn. downward by theofi coil (1.

Patented March 17, 1908.

contact '11 of the main swiich and its other terminal connected with he other side of the main circuit 15. circuit-breaker 7c which is automatically operated by the solenoid core f. The ofi branch circuit 11, which includes the coil (1 has one terminal connected with one side of the lighting circuit 12 and its other terminal connected to the main circuit 15. Connected in these .two auxiliar or control circuits are the manually operated circuit-closers h and h, by the manipulation of which the main switch may be opened or closed. There may these circuit closers h andv it, any automatic closing device, at (1 (Z and c e such as a time switch or thermostat.

'I have already stated that in the branch on circuit 10 ,there is a circuitbreaker. This is indicated as k and it is automatically operated by the movement of the armature or solenoid core of the coils d and so that, immediately upon the closing of the main switch, the circuit-breaker 7c is operatedto break the closing circuit, and, when the main circuitis opened, the circuit-breaker is closed. 1

The construction of of the auxiliary circuit-breaker k in the ,on circuit is illustrated in Figs. 2 and My present invention resides essentiall in the construction of. this main switch. e'four contacts'i i} i i are supported by an insulating base and have connected to them the tar-,1.

minals of the main and lighting circuits. airs with the contact i opposite that at 6 an the contact i opposite that atri There are. two switch brushes indicated at m'm each formed of a plurality of superimposed, thin, flat, spring-metal lates, or strips as shown in 2, the ends 0 these Thiscitcuit 10 includes a the main switch and be also connected up in parallel with v brushes being indicatedconventionally 1n Fig. 1 at n n n n". Each brush is bent at-an angle and's secured at. its central portionto a cross-bar o whichmay be of insulating mate rial. The crossbar 0 forms the lower end of a vertically movingrectangular frame compris mg 1n addition thereto, two side-bars 0 0 and an upper cross-bar 0 The side-bars are arranged to slide verticallyin suitable guides in any convenient framework that maybe utili'zed to support the switchand the electromagnets which operate it. This frame-work if desired, m'a comprise a base p to which nected two pairs of pivoted liks topr p and connecting uprights p the contactso the main switch are secured, a

o the top 1) of the frame and to the upper cross-bar o,hereinbe fore referred to, are cong, g g. To

thepivots g, which connect the s of. each pair, are pivoted links g, which are in turn of the compound'toggle levers,-the whole frame 0, 0 0 rises as the two pairs of links g g and g 1 are straightened until the links g g pass s ightliyz past the dead center position so as to 100 the switch closed with the brushes under tension, When the off coil however is energized, the core is drawn downward with sufficient force to break the lock and draw the frame and the switch bar downward, and to open the switch.

I preferably make the rectangular switch- -carrying frame heavy enough, so that, after the toggle g g is, once broken on the downward movement, the frame and the switcheswill drop by gravity, although of course this will be assisted by the downward pull of the solenoid core, and infact it is this parallel vertical movement of the switch frame and core which constitutes one of the efficient features of the switch. The apparatus is likewise so formed that the switch-brushes leave their contacts at substantially the instant the toggle is broken. As a result of this construction, the switches will not become locked unless the current through the on coil is strong enough and is caused to flow long enough to move the tog le levers into the position shown in Fig. 3 and lock the switch in its closed osition. Therefore, if the circuit through t e on coil is closed momentarily and the toggles are not locked, the switch will drop back again to its full open position and will not remain in a partially open or a partially closed position.

The circuit-breaker 7c comprises a single pole switch is, ada ted to en age the two stationary contacts and k ig. 1). This switch is mounted upon the end of a lever is fulcrumed at k on a standard it (Fig. 2) rising from the to ofthe framework. Pivoted on the same crum pin is a lever is, the free end of which enters a socket or aperture in the upper end 'of the core. The ends of a coiled spring k (Fig. 1) are connected to the levers klc, so that, when the core rises and falls, the switch is opened and shut with a snap. This circuit-breaker is so constructed and arranged with relation to the plunger of links g g, g g, and g constitute toggle.

that it is not operated to break the .on circuit until the main switch has been fully closed and locked. Preferably the end ofg the "arm k is engaged with a female threaded member or'nut In (Fig. 3), which is adjusts able on a,screw k threaded into a socket in the upper end of. the plunger.

The two links g g of the compound toggle mechanism are pivoted at their knuckle tov a nut k, which ma be adjusted towardsand from the end of t e lunger'b the screw k and secured in place 8y the loc -nut k. By adjusting the member partsmay be set to accuracy. In accor ance with this embodiment of the invention, the on. coil is .denergized immediatelyl after the closure'of the 'main switch, and't 'is is done by the movek', and the nut 7c", the

ment of, the snap switch 7: arranged in the on circuit; and when the main circuit'is opened, by closing the "off circuit, the off circuit is broken" again as soon as the brushes of the main switch leave thei'r'res ective'contacts, thus the 'energization of the on or .ofil coil of the control circuit is but momentary.

I claim as m mvention:-

1. An electrically controlled switch mechanism, comprising a base and fixed contacts, a vertically moving rectangular frame carrying two pairs of switch contacts, two. electroma ets adapted for multiple connection' wit nets, and tog le lever means connecting the moving switc frame with the solenoid core.

2. -An electrically controlled'switch mechanism, comprising a base and fixed contacts, a vertically moving frame carrying switch contacts, two eleotromagnets, a vertically *movin solenoid core common to both, and

tog le ever mechanism connecting said core wit the switch frame whereby the latter and the core rise and fall together.

3. A switch-operating mechanism, comprising one or more vertically movable contacts, a pair of electromagnets, a vertically moving solenoid core for said, electroma nets, two oppositely arranged pairs of togg e levers, each pair having one link stationarily pivoted and the other connected to said movable contacts, and a toggle lever connected at its knuckle to the solenoid'core and at the the main circuit, avertically moving solenoid core. common to both electro-r'nagouter ends of its links to the links of the first i mentioned toggle levers.

4. An electrically controlled switch mechanism, comprising a stationary'frame sup-" porting two electromagnets and acommon vertically moving core therein, contacts on the base of said frame, a vertically moving frame carrying contacts to on e thoseon the stationary frame and tog e ever's connectin the moving frame W151 the core ahd with t a stationary frame.

5. A11 electrically controlled switch mechwith the core and with the upper part of the anism, comprising a stationary frame supstationary frame. 10 porting two electromagnets and a common y In testimony whereof I have affixed my vertically moving core therein, contacts on signature, in resence of two witnesses.

5 the base of said frame a vertically moving JRANVILLE E. PALMER.

frame carrying contacts to en age those on Witnesses: the stationary frame and togg e levers con- MABCUS B.'MA'Y,

'necting the upper part of the moving frame 'A. L. FOLSOM 

